Mechanical toy



June 21, 1932. c; ARN'QLD= YMECHANIGALI TOY Filed Aug. 25. 1951 Hflvento? v j MM Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE ARNOLD, OF NUBmEBG, GERMANY KECHANICAL TOY Application filed August 25, 1931, Serial No. 569,226, and in Germany larch 28, 1931.

ThIs invention .relates to a to in which inside a hoop or the like rigidly xed on a base late a vehicle for exam lo a motor car ismoved in a circle. With this object in view I a spring actuated propelling device and also a clockwork built into the vehicle cooperate in such a manner, that the vehicle must travel in a circle along the path determined by the hoop in a certain time owing to the centrifu- 10 gal force. During the circulating movement of the vehicle, spark beams are also produced. An embodiment of the invention is illus: trated by way of example in the accompanyin drawin in which:

lfig. 1 shows the toy In side elevation, partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the propelling device.

Fi 3 shows the vehicle on a larger scale .3 in bottom plan view.

Brackets 2 and 3 mounted on a base plate 1 carry rigidly a hoop 5, provided with run ning grooves and slot 4. A vehicle 7 provided with a clockwork 6 is placed in the running grooves of the hoop 5. A spring tensioning or pro lling device is mounted under the base p ate 1 and designed to propel the vehicle 7 so that it travels in a circle in the hoop 5. This device consists of a rod 8 with a collar 9 and with an upwardly pro- 'ectIng nose 10 on its front end, its rear end ing bent to form a circle. This nose 10 projects through a slot 11 into the hoop 5 and bears against the vehicle. A spiral spring is arranged on the rod 8 between the collar 9 and the base plate 1 designed to hold the rod under tension. The releasing of the rod 8 is effected by turning a lever 14, pro vided with a nose 13 at one end and bent out,- 40 wardly at an angle at the other end. A spiral sprin 15 xed to the nose 13 of the lever 14, ho ds this lever in pressing position, when the spring is tensioned.

The to operates in the following manner: 45 In or er to impart a circulating movement to the vehicle 7, the rod 8 is pulled back, so that the spring 12 is compressed. The clockwork of the vehicle is then .wound and the vehicle placed in the running grooves of be the hoop. pressing inwards the lever 14 on the outer side of the base plate 1,.the portion of the lever within the base plate is pressed outwards at its end and dense uently disengages from the spring controlled rod 8 so that this rod or, its nose 10 can rapidly F3 move forward in the slot 40f the loop 5 and in the slot 11 of the base plate 1. The vehicle 7, against which the nose 10 of the rod 8 strikes, is propelled in the hoop 5 with great force; At the same time as the releasing of C3 the tensioning or propelling device, the clockwork 6 built in the vehicle 7 is released and the vehicle continues to travel in a circle in the hoop until this clockwork has run down. In order to prevent the vehicle from drop- 4 ping out of the hoop, as its speed decreases, a spring controlled gripper nose 16 is provided under the vehicle and pressed outwards by the expanding clockwork spring until it comes to bear under the loop slot 4. The vehicle is then prevented from travelling in its running direction and rolls back in the hoop. After winding the clockwork, so that the gripper nose 16 recedes, and the propel- 7 ling device is tensioned, the operations can be repeated.

In order, when the vehicle is travelling in the hoop, to produce spark beams the hoop 5 has a friction surface 17 of suitable material, extending over the inner circumference of the hoop. On the rear end of the vehicle an oscillatablc cerium stone lever 18 is arranged, which slides on the friction surface for the purpose of producing sparks.

1. A mechanical toy, comprising in combination a hoop having. a slot and travelling grooves, a vehicle loosely placed in the grooves of said hoop, and a spring actuated tensioning and propelling device adapted to operate through said slot and to cause said vehicle to travel in a circle in said hoop owing to the centrifugal force.

2. A mechanical toy asispecifiedin claim 1, 95'

comprising in combination with the hoop the tensioning and propelling device and the vehicle placed in said hoo a clockwork mechanism on said vehicle a apted to be actuated by said device and to drive said vehicle so slot in said hoop and to thu'sstop the vehicle and prevent same from falling out of said hoop.

4. A mechanical toy as specified in claim 1,

' comprising in combination with the tensioning and ,ropelling device a spring controlled oscillata 1e two-armed lever adapted to be actuated from the outer side and to release said propelling device.

5. A mechanical toy as specified in claim 1,

comprising in combination with the hoop and the vehicle placed therein, a friction band extending over a considerable length of the inner circumference of said hoop, a lever oscillatably mounted on said vehicle, and a cerium stone on said lever adalpted during the circulating movement of sai vehicle to rub against said band and produce beams of spark behind said travelling vehicle. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CARL ARNOLD. 

